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Beltre sore; Hamilton still day to day

Beltre sore; Hamilton still day to day

TORONTO -- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre was not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.

"He's just sore, so I'm going to keep him off the turf," manager Ron Washington said before the game at Rogers Centre.

Beltre did enter the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and struck out.

Outfielder Josh Hamilton was also out of the lineup for the second game in a row with a stiff back and was listed as day to day.

Beltre was used as the designated hitter in Monday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jays, giving his legs a rest from the artificial turf. But he felt sore after reaching base three times.

"That turf killed him, so he came in sore and we're going to back off," Washington said. "We'll just see how he comes in [Wednesday]. Me personally, I don't care if he plays tomorrow or not. I don't want him to get hurt, and if he's sore, I don't want to take any chance. He wasn't having this problem before we came on this turf."

Washington said it can be difficult to persuade Beltre that he shouldn't play.

"It's not easy not to put Beltre in that lineup," Washington said. "He fights, man."

If Beltre wants to play on Wednesday afternoon in the finale, Washington said, "I'll have to take all the medical stuff into account -- it'll be another fight, but I think it's a fight I can win."

Washington said if Hamilton is fit, the outfielder will play.

"Today, I have to play without both of them, but I don't want to make it a habit," the manager said.

Washington said the artificial turf at Rogers Centre is more spongy than the turf at Tropicana Field, and it's difficult for players who are not accustomed to it.

"You can feel it giving and bouncing back," he said. "It gets in your body."